Sheet and pile holder for printing press



March 4, 1969 E. M. SAGE 3,430,948

SHEET AND FILE HOLDER FOR PRINTING PRESS Filed Oct. 5, 1967 INVEIVZUR. EQRL M 8465 United States Patent 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pile holder which is adjustably attached to the feed end of a flatbed cylinder press and urges the pile of sheets to be fed into the press in proper position, and rollers movable with relation to the pile holder adjustably spring biased into holding engagement with the uppermost sheet on the pile to assure even feed of the sheets to the press.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention is concerned with the problem of feeding the pile or stack to printing presses, particularly the flatbed cylinder type.

Description of the prior art In presses of the type under consideration the pile or stack of sheets to be printed are placed, adjacent the feed end of the press, on a vertically movable surface called the elevator. This elevator moves the stack upwardly, in synchronization with operation of the press, to present the top sheet of the pile always at substantially the same level. conventionally, an air blast separates the top sheet from the pile and suction elements forward the sheet to the press. The rate of upward movement of the elevator must be carefully adjusted and the adjustment will vary with differing types of paper stock being printed. Even with this adjustment carefully made, should the pile become skewed to any extent on the elevator so that it is not in place against the pile guides on the press, or should the top sheet move laterally after it has been separated by air blast from the pile and before it is taken by the forwarding suction elements, sheet feed difiiculties will obviously result. In the past cords, crossed at their free ends by a metal block and attached at their opposite ends to a crossbar at the feed end of the press, have been utilized to overlie the far margin of the pile with the weight of the block tensioning the ropes somewhat to provide a hold-down effect on the uppermost sheet. This arrangement is easily displaced out of position and the steadying force exerted on the pile is minimal.

Summary of the invention The sheet and pile holder of the present invention replaces the cord-and-weight devices of the prior art by utilizing an adjustably positionable backstop to steady the pile against the front pile guides on the press, the

backstop member also serving as one support for a roller assembly, adjustably biased against the topmost sheet on the pile, which holds the sheet against lateral displacement but offers no resistance to removal of the sheet from the pile by the forwarding suction elements of the press.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the device of the present invention in place at the feed end of a flatbed cylinder press, the press being shown fragmentarily only.

3,430,948 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device of the present invention taken generally along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device of the present invention taken from the side opposite that shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device of the present invention taken from the side opposite that shown in FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is fragmentarily indicated at 10 the elevator surface of a conventional press, this surface being movable upwardly at an adjustable rate as the press operates. In place on the elevator is a pile or stack of sheets to be printed, the sheets being indicated generally at 11. It will be understood that the elevator surface 10 is moved upwardly, as the sheets are removed from the stack, the rate of movement corresponding with the operation of the press and being adjustable by the conventional elevator regulator 12. The feed end of the press shown in FIG. 1 has extending thereacross a transverse rod 13 and is provided with suction elements 14. It will be understood that all of the parts so far described are conventional in flatbed cylinder presses and that, after an air blast has separated the topmost sheet from the pile at the leading edge, the suction elements 14 function, conventionally, to advance the sheet into the press. As previously pointed out, attempts have been made to hold the pile in place by extening flexible cords from the transverse rod 13 to the trailing margin of the pile.

The assembly embodying the present invention includes a support rod 16 which carries, at one end, a twopiece clamp member, indicated generally at 17. As will be evident from FIG. 1 the clamp is adapted to be attached to the transverse shaft 13 on the press, the support rod 13 then extending in overlying relation to the pile 11. The shaft 16 is hinged at 18 so that the outer portion may be swung upwardly or sidewardly to permit access to the pile 11, the member 18a acting as a stop preventing downward pivotal motion of the outer portion of the rod below the horizontal.

The rod 16 has adjustably mounted along its length a carrier means which includes a member 21 having an aperture through which the rod 16 is accommodated, the clamp screw 22 fixing the member 21 on the rod. The member 21 is provided with two vertically extending apertures which slidably receive vertical posts 23. The posts 23 are rigidly carried by a primary member 24 spaced below the rod 16. Facing brackets 25 and 26 (FIG. 3) accommodate a bolt 27 and confine a compression spring 29 which functions to bias the primary member downwardly away from the rod 16. The biasing force exerted by the spring 29 may be adjusted by the wing nut 27a.

Supported on the under side of the primary member 24 are two, spaced, fiat-faced ballbearing wheels or rollers 31 and 32 which bear against the topmost sheet on the pile 11. The rollers 31 and 32 permit withdrawal of the sheets from the pile longitudinally by the suction elements 14, however, they resist any lateral displacement of the sheets. While a solid mounting for the rollers 31 and 32 is illustrated in the drawing, it will be understood that the axle on which the rollers are carried could be pivotally attached to the primary member 24.

As may best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the extending end of the primary member 24 carries a backstop element 34 which, at its lower margin rests upon the elevator surface 10. The means for attachment of the backstop element 34 to the primary member 24 is such as to permit vertical movement of the element 34 as the elevator surface 10 moves upwardly during operation of the press, and further permits a limited amount of pivotal, lateral 3 movement of the element 34 with relation to the primary member 24. As may best be seen in FIG. 2, the attachment includes the post 36 which extends vertically within a slot or opening 37 in the element 34. The primary member 24 is provided with a vertical aperture which freely accommodates the post 36.

In operation, with the holder of the present invention in place on the press as shown in FIG. 1, the rollers 31 and 32 will exert a holding force on the uppermost sheet on the pile without resisting removal of the sheet by the suction elements 14. The backstop element 34 will hold the pile against the guides on the press as the press is operated. The arrangement facilitates adjustment of the elevator by permitting the pile to be run-up to the wheels 31 and 32 through the elevator adjusting mechanism until the desired amount of force is exerted by the wheels on the pile. Use of the holder of the present invention results in even feeding of the press with no misfeed malfunctions occurring throughout the press run.

I claim:

1. In a printing press of the type in which an elevator surface moves vertically a pile of sheets to be printed as the press operates so that the uppermost sheet on the pile is at the proper elevation for feeding into the press by the press feed elements, a sheet and pile holder assembly comprising a support rod removably anchored at one end to the press and extending in overlying relation to the pile, carrier means mounted on the rod and adjustably positionable along it, said carrier means including a primary member spaced below said rod and spring biased downwardly, two spaced, flat-faced rollers carried by said primary member and adapted to resiliently engage the topmost sheet on the pile, said primary member further carrying a backstop element spaced from said rollers and having a fiat vertical surface adapted to abut that portion of the pile remote from the press feed elements and to engage the elevator surface of the press, the attachments of said backstop element to said primary member permitting vertical movement of the backstop member with relation to the primary member to accommodate the vertical movement of the elevator surface of the press as the sheets on the pile are depleted.

2. A sheet and pile holder assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said support rod is hinged intermediate its length to permit the carrier means to be moved away from the press elevator surface for reloading of the press.

3. A sheet and pile holder assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the downward spring bias exerted on said primary member is adjustable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner. 

